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Saturday, December 7, 2013

You Know You're a Regular....

So I went into the rink for a lesson on public. I was there a little early and there was no line, so I plopped my skate bag on the counter and started digging around for my 'frequent flyer' card.

"Well," I started muttering to Isabel the cashier, "Here's my toothbrush, and pen, and earphones, and advil and pepto.."

"You need a new card." Isabel said, "You're due."

I found my card in its case. "Oh, yes, you're right, I need a new card."

Yes, the staff knows me so well, they know when I need a card before I do. How this works, I have no idea. The cards are marked with a pen, so there's no computer tracking. Apparently, Isabel remembers when I get to the next to last public and remembers it until I come back again a week later.

Hundreds of people a week and she remembers that I'll need a new card at my next visit.

Yes, that's just one of the marks of being a regular.

"See, you need to renew your public skate card."

When do you know you've reached "regular" status?

It's like walking into the Cheers pub, where everyone knows your name.

'Cause not only do they know your name, they know your boot problems, test level, coach, car, boot bag, jacket, injury history and can tell at a glance if you've been practicing!

I think just about everybody at my rink knows at least my first name. Our rink computer tracks both the Freq. Skater Cards and also the number of public sessions one gets bundled with group lessons. How the computer keeps the two separate accounts correct is a mystery to me but it seems to work even though the rink no longer gives out group lesson punch cards; something about "going green" and not generating a bunch of little plastic cards.

It's gotten to the point where the kids behind the counter see me coming through the door and they tell me I don't need to dig for the freq skater card--they've already deducted a session. Guess I'll need to sneak in the back way if I just want to go to the pro shop for a sharpening!

I knew I was a regular when I went in with my 3 year old nephew and asked if I could try skates to see if he would do it before paying. We did that, and then when I went to pay at the end of the session (for 4 skaters and 3 pairs of skates) the manager says "oh, don't worry about it"